Reviewing Monsters: Palworld, Part 2

Part 2 of my coverage of the monsters of the Pokemon-parody/first-person shooter game Palworld!

To those that are uninitiated, Palworld was released early in 2024 as a combination of a Pokemon-style creature collection with a bunch of resource management, first-person shooter and RPG elements. It also relies a fair bit on a fair amount of deconstruction and black comedy of the whole Pokemon monster-training genre... and it's been an extremely controversial game with loads of vitriol from supporters and detractors alike. 

I think I've said enough about the controversies surrounding the game itself, but I talked a fair bit about the first 35 monsters in the game. I do intend on finishing my coverage of all the monsters in the game, so let's go with another 30-or-so!

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#036: Melpaca

• Pompous Shanks
• Type: Neutral

We have a pink alpaca. And... it sure is an alpaca! You can go around and ride Pals in this game, and Melpaca is one of the many, many different mounts that you can ride. Alpacas are one of those animals that are inherently funny, and having one that's coloured with pink and blue highlights is cute enough to differentiate it from the real-life animal. I otherwise feel that they really could've done more than "it's an alpaca, it's coloured funny, I guess it can kick". 

#037: Eikthyrdeer

• Protector Deer | Antlers of Gold
• Type: Neutral (normal) | Ground (terra)

Eikthyrdeer here is another Pal that's obviously here just to be another mount, though Eikthyrdeer looks visually impressive. I don't particularly care for the 'Terra' version with the rather boring gold-and-white colouration, but the regular one with purples and blue-tipped horns actually looks quite impressive. There's not much to say other than it being a big, impressive monster deer, however -- the PalDeck just notes something about 'the ones with the biggest horns lead the herd' which feels a bit too much like real deer instead of a deer monster. 

#038: Nitewing

• Wings of the Firmament
• Type: Neutral

People compare this a lot as a 'legally distinct Staraptor', or 'Staraptor crossed with Braviary'. I've tried to keep comparisons to Pokemon a minimum unless it's an obvious inspiration, and I think for Nitewing here the critics have a point? It's not that hard to make a big, angry bird of prey look distinct -- Pokemon does it literally every generation -- but Nitewing has the same angry expression and colours as Staraptor, with the major differences being a larger tail and a trip to the salon. Nitewing is likely to be the very first airborne mount you find, and while it does have a strong 'dark, emo' bird look to it, it's not the only big bird we have. 

I do really like the morbid description, though. Nitewing carries newborn Pals to its nest and acts as a surrogate parent to them... but it's all just to fatten them up so Nitewing can hunt them down. That's fucked up!

#039: Ribbuny

• Heart-Melting Smile
• Type: Neutral

A rather simple 'pink animal cartoon mascot' monster design, you wouldn't find Ribbuny out of place as a background character in like a Hello Kitty ripoff or something. Apparently, if its 'tentacles' (which really does remind me of Sylveon) gets caught up, its expression changes to something demonic. In-game, I think this is supposed to be represented by how Ribbuny are normally skittish and will run away from the player, but attack one and all the Ribbuny becomes instantly aggressive to the player. It's a nice touch that I actually think does help to make these Pals feel a bit more interesting. 

#040: Incineram

• Hyena of the Wild | Hyena of the Darkest Night
• Type: Fire/Dark (normal) | Dark (Noct)

This feels like something that every Pokemon-ripoff game tries to put in, a humanoid 'devil'. Pokemon never really does that, with the closest we've gotten being just the hellhound that is Houndoom, and the more goblin-inspired Grimmsnarl. Incineram here is a demonic goat-hyena creature that kidnaps Pals at night, with the PalDeck noting that 'what happens to those poor souls afterwards isn't too hard to imagine'. It's pretty neat for what it is, and I do like the detail of the ribcage bones around its chest.

Incineram Noct, a pure-Dark version, has features and colours that is inspired by Eikthyrdeer up above, which I thought is a really nice touch. Deer actually do look and feel rather sinister, and this demonic satyr-monster being based on deer is a nice little touch! A lot of the variants feel like just palette swaps to bulk up the monster variation, but Incineram here actually feels like there's some effort put in.

#041: Cinnamoth

• Butterfly Promenade
• Type: Grass

It's a moth-creature, but instead of just being a month, the main body is some kind of bunny-fairy  cutesy monster. While I like the antennae-eyebrow-ears being the same colours as the wings, the main body does leave something to be desired, I feel. Even if they wanted to make it pixie-like, this feels like the bare minimum of what you'd do to make a moth fairy. 

I do really find the description rather funny and fits Palworld's deconstructive themes, where Cinnamoth's scales, instead of causing poisoning or paralysis... is actually a fucking drug that gets you high as heck, and there has been arguments between various human associations on whether to market the Cinnamoth or if it's inhumane. Neat. 

#042: Arsox

• Blazing Brute
• Type: Fire

I honestly find that I don't have a whole ton to say to a lot of the 'mount' Pals. It's nice, I guess, to have some different options. Arsox here is a mountain ox that's fire-type, so it's on fire... and... uh... it sure is a fire ox.

Arsox does have a giggle-worthy Paldeck entry: "In ancient times, carnivorous Pals pursued them relentlessly. The Arsox's irrational rage transformed into a raging inferno, which has been passed on to this day." I find that cute. 

#043: Dumud

• Perpetual Procastinator
• Type: Ground

Okay, something a bit more interesting! I've seen poeple handwave this as a Mudkip or Slowpoke ripoff, but I feel like there's enough thought put into Dumud here that it's actually distinct as a mudskipper-based monster that's super-dumb and has a duhhhhhh expression. It's not something unique to Pokemon, and I actually find this one to look quite funny. Dumud's just a slow, silly Pal, and just like Slowpoke, its reaction time is so... dang... slow... that apparently even if it's sliced in half, it wouldn't realize it's dead until the next day. 

...though, yes, that dorsal fin does look like it's lifted directly from Inteleon. It's also kind of out of place, I feel, in Dumud's design, which makes it stand out even more. 

#044: Cawgnito

• Shadowcloaked Schemer
• Type: Dark

Okay, you're cool. Not the most original monster design, no. Combining crows with plague doctor masks is something that I've seen show up a lot, but Cawgnito looks stylish enough. I think it's the fact that he's got wings that fold up like a creepy gothic cloak at rest. I think the only part of him that obviously is an unnatural accessory is the gem necklace, whereas everything else has that Pokemon-esque feel of being part of the anatomy that just happens to resemble cloaks and witch-hats?

A rather 'obvious' design, but one that I kinda like. Interestingly, apparently Cawgnito used to fly in the skies until a heavy rivalry with the Galewing species forced them to roam the ground. 

#045: Leezpunk

• Self-Proclaimed Genius | Self-Proclaimed Fashionista
• Type: Dark (normal) | Fire (ignis)

...speaking of monster designs with anatomy that's obviously accessories... 

Leezpunk is a design that conceptually is very much based on Scraggy and Scrafty -- a bipedal lizard punk that uses its shed skin as an accessory. They go for more of a 'cool' look by having the shed skin actually look like straight-up hoodies instead of resembling 'shed skin being used as a hoodie' that Scrafty have. It looks visually nicer on Leezpunk, but it also feels a fair bit more unnatural? Maybe I'm nitpicking. 

I do like the punk-ish colours, which admittedly has some Toxtricity vibes, but I like the splash of character that their poses have. They always like to maintain a stylish stance, being obssessed with posing. There are two variants, the normal-one being Dark-type and the red one being fire-type. The tail-spines still being yellow on the Ignis while the 'mohawk' (which is part of the hoodie) being differently coloured seems to imply that the change of type is literally only caused by the hoodie, which I thought was neat. 

#046: Loupmoon

• Enraptured by Moonlight
• Type: Dark

Another 'humanoid devil' type of monster, Loupmoon skews a bit more towards Digimon, yeah? I could see this being an Adult-level version of Impmon or something. I tend to not get the most impressed with these kinds of edgy, spiky humanoid monsters, and I don't really care for Loupmoon all that much (especially when Incineram up above is a fair bit more menacing). I also don't really like the bizarre horn that turns into a huge crescent moon, though I do like the variation on being 'weak to the sun', but rather it's allergic to the sun. It won't burn Loupmoon into ashes like a vampire, but it'll make its moon-shaped horn itch like hell. 

#047: Galeclaw

• Proud Courie
• Type: Neutral

It's the Galeclaw that was mentioned a bit before on Cawgnito's description. It sure is a stylized eagle with some nice colours, and, uh... it sure is a bird. Again, I do find the description quite funny. It can fly while holding a human, but it's also prone of letting go when tired, and Galeclaws do this to enoguh trainers that it's the most notable thing about them. 

#048: Robinquill

• Archer of the Forest | Archer of the Sands
• Type: Grass (normal) | Ground (terra)

Yyyyyyeah, this is basically lawyer-friendly Decidueye, isn't it? They did a rather spectacular work at trying to make Robinquil here still feel like Decidueye while also being legally distinct, but that honestly just seems to involve removing every 'owl' aspect of Decidueye while keeping the general silhouette and colours, and also glue on Blaziken's leg-fur onto it. 

While there is enough divergence between 'monster bird' or 'monster wolf' or 'plant lady' that some of the Pokemon being compared to the likes of Staraptor and Lycanroc and Lilligant could be handwaved to just taking common fantasy monster tropes, Robinquill here is way too similar to be anything but a homage. Or a ripoff, if you're feeling less kind. The colours, the archer theme... heck, even having a 'cape' section coloured brown... it also has bows (real, physical bows that it pulls out of nowhere). And... I don't know. I just have such a strong negative reaction to this whole design, especially the 'central' humanoid body. Eh. 

#049: Gorirat

• Jungle Punk
• Type: Neutral

Okay, we're going to some more beastly animal-based monsters. I don't really see too much 'ratty' coming off from this design, unless it's meant to be its face? Gorirat here looks like a rather all right 'hybrid of real-world animals' monster, thoguh at the same time its face looks a bit too much like a Sonic character that it's kind of funny. I don't mind this one. It's simple and neat. Apparently it communicates by sending shockwaves through the ground with its fists.

#050: Beegarde

• Guardian Commander
• Type: Grass

Okay, a lady bee fairy? Neat concept, and an okay design for a fairy! Certainly a lot more memorable than Cinnamoth up above. Again, evolutions are not a thing in this game, so ignore the fact that the entire Beegarde species apparently exists to serve their queen (who's the next one on the dex), and that they are found in the same location and the Beegarde act as sub-boss mobs to the queen, and their design are exactly the same. 

#051: Elizabee

• Empress of the Hive
• Type: Grass

Yeah, right down to having almost the same head design, Elizabee is the queen of the Beegardes, but with a much more regal abdomen-skirt and larger, more angular wings. Both of their Paldeck entries note how the Beegardes are devoted into working for Elizabee, and that there is a 'never ending stream of servants willing to work themselves to the death' to serve Elizabee. But is Elizabee herself a good queen? Is she a tyrant, or is she a nurturing hive-mother? 

Neat, though I honestly wished that they went a bit further with the 'queen bee' theme. 

#052: Grintale

• Marshmallow Body
• Type: Neutral

We're 'homaging' Ghibli studios or Alice in Wonderland or something, with Grintale being a rather archetypical Cheshire Cat with a spiky-toothed grin, scraggly fur and... I actually like Grintale! Its eyes will actually straight-up light up like flashlights, and the splitting tail suggests that Grintale is based on a nekomata. Another fun thing about this creature is that you can ride him and walk around, which is much more fun than all the ungulate options we've seen so far. I like this one. 

#053: Swee

• Curious Floof
• Type: Ice

It's a living mop. It just mops around with its lower body being a mass of fur. Simple design, love the dot eyes and the set of cat/dog ears, and it just functions like a mop since it crawls around and eats microscopic organic matter, and would later shit out whatever gives it no nutrition. It's ice-type for some reason, though.

#054: Sweepa

• Majesty of Fuzz
• Type: Ice

And also no connection and no evolution with the smaller Swee is the big boy Sweepa. Who is bigger, with an adorable cartoon-animal jowls. It's actually large enough to be ridden, another far superior choice to ride around than a boring deer or wolf. You can ride around in a large floofy ball of floofy floofness. 

The game doesn't actually incorporate this and just spawns Sweepa escorted by a bunch of Swee, just like any video game monster, but apparently Sweepa can hide up to 101 Swees inside its hair. Cute!

#055: Chillet

• Dancer on the Plains
• Type: Ice/Dragon

Oh, this one is kinda cute. It's like a ferret or something, but it's icy and also a dragon. Which... honestly kind of fits with Pokemon's own nonsensical definition of what can be a dragon. Which... yeah, both its English and Japanese name are basically mimicking Furret, except, of course, it looks distinct enough that what they primarily share is just their body shape.

I... I don't mind this the look of this one, actually. It stands all right on its own as a design, unlike Robinquill. It apparently moves around by turning its entire body into a wheel and spinning around. Apparently, ancient people tied milk to Chillet and allowed it to spin around to make butter. Okay. 

#056: Univolt

• Swift Deity
• Type: Electric

Hmmm, not the biggest fan of this one, though it might just be the angle that the picture I can find in the internet gives me. Univolt is basically just a lightning unicorn. It's admittedly a fair bit more creative than Pokemon's own Zebstrika, but it also ends up looking a bit more... tacky? I think there's one too many spiky-sharp detailing on the design. Maybe if they had removed the random chest fur, Univolt would've looked a bit better? It's a problem I have with some of Pokemon's own efforts, like Reshiram or Luxray. 

Univolt is another one of the mount Pals in the game, but a lightning-themed one. I do really like the description, which noted that due to Univolt's lightning powers, the ancient humans worshipped Univolts as messengers of the gods... but after witnessing one die (from a lightning bolt, ironically enough), they realized Univolts are just weird-looking horses and began enslaving domesticating them. 

#057: Foxcicle

• Claws of Ice
• Type: Ice

It sure is an ice fox with multiple tails. It's an icy kitsune, and... I don't really have much to say beyond that? I don't actually think that real, mythological kitsune are associated with the snow or ice, so it really is hard for me to say that this isn't trying very obviously to mimic Alolan Ninetales from Pokemon. From a monster concept standpoint it's not terrible, though I wished they had done something more about the kitsune theme. 

#058: Pyrin

• Steed of Flames | Steed of Darkness
• Type: Fire (normal) | Dark (noct)

It's a kirin monster, and depending on the variation, it's either fire-themed or dark-themed. It's a neat enough 'kirin monster', I suppose, even if it's leaning very heavily into the horse aspects of it. It's at least got some beards and super-long eyebrows? It's not super impressive to me, and if not for the name I wouldn't even have guessed that this is supposed to be based on kirins. 

Both of these guys can be mounted, and the Paldeck notes that the Pyrins take extra effort not to accidentally burn its owner, or in Pyrin Noct's case, drag the owner to hell. 

#059: Reindrix

• Beast of Blizzards
• Type: Ice

Yet another moutnable ungulate, I don't quite like Reindrix as much as Eikthyrdeer up above. I'm not sure what exactly makes me not like it. I guess the way its ears and chest-fur kind of seem to all merge together? I do find the icy antlers to look neat, but I'm not the biggest fan of the rest of Reindrix. Apparently, anyone who touches the antlers with bare hands will instantly freeze over and shatter, which is not something that's translated in-game. In-game, Reindrix is a mount that will keep your character cool even in hot areas.

#060: Rayhound

• Electrocharged Zoomies
• Type: Electric

Yet another ridable animal, Rayhound is a hound or a wolf, and is electric-type. It zips around and is as fast as lightning, and in-game this translates to a double jump. Not the biggest fan of this one, I think while Univolt is quite pleasant looking, Rayhound has way too many random 'toy-like' accessories. The giant leg-wings in the forelegs are the ones that make me dislike this one the most (especially since it's already got smaller leg-thunderbolts), the Raichu-ripoff tail, the random lightning crystals off of its cheeks, and the tattoo markings on the body... I dunno. A lightning wolf isn't a bad concept for a monster, but this one tries to do too much, I feel. 

#061: Kitsun

• Guardian of Azure Flame
• Type: Fire

A much cooler kitsune monster than Foxcicle... though this one only has a single bushy tail, but it's themed around will-o-wisps (or shiranui, 'unknown fire'... just straight-up its Japanese name). It's got a wreath of blue flame around its head, some cool tattoo markings on its face, and some fire-cloud-esque fur clumps. Not really much to say beyond that, though out of the 'mounts' that come one after the other, I find Kitsun to look quite pleasant. 

#062: Dazzi

• Born of the Storm
• Type: Electric

It sure is a cloud-genie child. Apparently it's a little shit, too, which that giggling expression probably clued you in. Dazzis will befriend lonely Pals, but the moment these lonely Pals let their guard down, Dazzi will thunderbolt the shit out of them. Pretty okay design for a humanoid 'weather god' type. She could almost pass off as Thundurus's daughter or something. There are some shared concepts with Thundurus and his siblings, but I actually think Dazzi here does stand apart enough and has enough of a personality that I wouldn't call her a straight-up ripoff. 

#063: Lunaris

• Extraterrestrial
• Type: Neutral

Palworld's answer to creatures like Pokemon's Clefairy or Digimon's Vademon is the extraterrestrial Lunaris, which... just goes for 'weird spacesuit furry lady'. I mean, eh. It's not my thing. It's apparently able to mind-control anyone that stares into its eyes... though it's Neutral instead of Dark, which is the Palworld equivalent to Psychic-types. It also uses Ice and Electric type attacks. Definitely not my kind of monster.

I really do like Lunaris's ability, though -- 'Antigravity', where the alien-themed Lunaris is able to manipulate and defy the force of gravity on its trainer. And does the trainer use it to fly, or do insane jumps, or to manipulte antigravity to fight? No, it just increases carrying capacity. That's cute. 

#064: Dinossom

• Guardian of Blossoming Gardens | Guardian of Lightning
• Type: Grass/Dragon (normal) | Electric (lux)

Okay, Goodra-meets-Meganium. Sorry, that's where my mind immediately goes to when I see this creature. Dinossom is one of the game's many dinosaurian enemies, and it's the one that feels the most like a 'reject Pokemon'. The colours of the base Dinossom already looks like Meganium, but the flower on Dinossom's head feels lifted straight from Venusaur or Vileplume -- a pink flower with a yellow 'crown'? I dunno. If they had been a bit more creative with the design I probably wouldn't have mentioned it, but those two 'ears' is lifted straight from Goodra, right? 

Anyway, it sure is a bipedal dinosaur. The base Dinossom is chill unless you anger it, something that's also reflected in-game. Dinossom Lux, apparently, is a Dinossom struck by lightning, surviving, but changed into an Electric-type. There are apparently enough of these to sustain a whole-ass population. Okay, then. 

#065: Surfent

• The Ocean's Wrath | The Desert's Wrath
• Type: Water (normal) | Ground (terra)

And we close this off with the odd, vaguely-Plesiosaur-looking Surfent, the surfing serpent. While the pictures here kind of make them look awkward, in-game they actually do have serpentine necks that make their dinosaurian/serpenting body plan feel a bit more natural. Design-wise it's a pretty all-right sea monster, and the the whole joke is that Surfent is used as surfboards by humans. Okay, then. I like the random orange spikes on Surfent's back. 

On the Surfent Terra version, which can move around on land instead, the spikes are crystal-shaped and much bigger, and it gained a unicorn horn on its forehead. Neat-o. 

#066: Maraith

• Messenger of Death
• Type: Dark

Oh, this one is cool! Maraith is like, some kind of demon sphinx or gryphon or something, being a four-legged lion-cat creature with wings made of blue fire, one of those creepy, mouthless porcelain masks and a blue will-o-wisp on its forehead. The coolest feature that brings this whole design together is that each leg tapers off into a pointy end that makes it seem to stand on tiptoes, which makes the whole design of Maraith just look so much cooler than just 'goth gryphon'. 

Honestly, after having so many rather underwhelming four-legged monsters on this page, Maraith is a refreshing break in actually elevating itself above its concept and looking quite creative and cool. Maraith apparently are drawn to living things that are about to die, which is nicely creepy. 

#067: Digtoise

• Drilling Machine
• Type: Ground

A pretty simple but pleasant monster. You could almost see this as an enemy in Mario or Metroid or something, yeah? Digtoise is a tortoise, but with drills poking out of his shell. He's got an armoured upper jaw and stuff. A simple monster design, and a rather pleasant one, I feel. 

#068: Tombat

• Trickster
• Type: Dark

Tombat's like a weird cat-man magician with bat wings, and it's got three ghostly cat-themed will-o-wisps that follow it around. It feels more like Tombat here should be a character of its own instead of being an entire species of monsters. An interesting design, even if it's not my thing, though I really wished the deck entry gives us some more context on what Tombat is and why it goes around escorted by a bunch of ghostly spirits. I do find Tombat a nice break from all of the quadrupeds I just talked about, for sure. 

#069: Lovander

• Pal on the Prowl 
• Type: Neutral

...and here we go. Pal #69, Lovander, which is probably the other infamous Pal you've heard other than the whole 'you can capture humans' and 'Pals can shoot people with an AK-47'. 

Lovander is basically the Palworld team taking Salazzle from Pokemon, a creature that's somewhat infamous for being described as having a harem of male Salandits -- a behaviour based on some real-world animals. But Lovander takes that design and ramps it up to eleven, giving it accessories that are meant to look provocative -- including long hair, a giant bushy 'bra' and markings that resemble flimsy clothing. It's apparently always 'seeking a night of love', and always chases other Pals around for its 'debauchery', and has even started hunting down humans. Keeping with the whole insistent-debauchery 'joke', Lovander drops items like 'mushroom', 'memory wiping medicine' and 'suspicious juice', adding a whole date rape 'joke' into the regular-rape joke. 

Yeah, I dunno. I guess it's good that they don't actually focus too much on Lovander and that it's just one pal among many, but for the most part Palworld has been pretty good at making its Pals just derivative and not that gross. This one is a bit too much, I feel. 

#070: Flambelle

• Molten Daughter
• Type: Fire

We go from all that unpleasantness to a very simple but adorable little buddy, Flambelle. Who is a cute little child with lava hair. It's basically doing everything that a cute, little-humanoid mascot can do to look cute. Apparently the more a Flambelle cries, the more lava tears it make and reabsorbs in its lower body, and the more powerful it becomes. It's pretty neat-looking.